Community Development Director

About the role

The Community Development Director is responsible for the overall leadership and management of the Community Development Department, which encompasses a staff size of 7.55 FTE including Planning and Building. As a key member of the City's executive leadership team, the Community Development Director will translate community vision into actionable municipal strategy to help shape the City and implement policy to ensure that the City’s mission and core values are incorporated into related operational activities and services. Work involves significant community engagement and public involvement with elected officials, residents, neighborhood groups, businesses, developers, and other governmental entities. This is a full-time, exempt, benefit eligible position.

Responsibilities

Strategic Planning & Policy Development

• Plans, organizes, directs, and evaluates the City’s Community Development Department including planning, building safety and code enforcement activities; ensures that the department’s programs are implemented in a manner consistent with the City’s goals and policies.
• Recommends, develops, and oversees the administration of department policies and guidelines; performs short- and long-range Planning activities, and sets direction, goals, objectives, and priorities for the department.
• Continuously monitor and evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery methods and procedures; assess and monitor workload, administrative and support systems, and internal reporting relationships; identify opportunities for improvement; direct the implementation of changes.

Land Use Planning, Zoning, Building Plan Review and Development Regulations

• Directs and coordinates the review of development proposals; ensures consistency in the application of building codes, zoning, environmental regulations, comprehensive plan and other related codes and ordinances; reviews and approves Washington State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) and mitigation plans for critical areas.
• Provides administrative interpretation of all land use, standards, and regulations; reviews and approves certain permits and land use decisions; prepares and reviews reports, and recommends plan and code amendments, annexations, historic preservation projects and other planning, zoning, and building issues.
• Responds to and resolves difficult and sensitive resident inquiries and complaints.
• Confers with engineers, developers, architects, other agencies, and the general public in acquiring information and coordinating planning, zoning, environmental, and related activities.
• Oversees and administers contracts with outside engineers, planners, and consultants; reviews the work of consulting staff for compliance with City standards and goals.
• Reviews and monitors proposed changes and updates to Federal, State and local laws to determine their impact on planning and building policies and practices; prepares, coordinates and implements responses and recommendations.
• Monitors trends in development practices, and recommends operational and policy improvements; evaluates programs, services, and activities to ensure they are meeting community needs.

Public Involvement and Communications

• Prepares materials for and makes presentations to elected officials, hearing examiner, other agencies, and the public; represents the department to a wide variety of intergovernmental and other agencies, as well as other community, professional, construction, environmental and civic groups, and individuals; attends City Council and Planning Commission meetings, and other meetings as required.
• Represents the Community Development Department to other City departments, elected officials, and outside agencies; explains, justifies, and defends Community Development programs, policies, and activities; negotiates and resolves sensitive, significant, and controversial issues.
• Assists property owners, businesses, and developers in the City’s development process, which includes site selection evaluation and review, project and/or program negotiations, land assembly and relocation, financial assistance and analysis and contract and/or code compliance.

Personnel Management

• Develops and maintains a workforce committed to, and with highly developed competencies in, customer service, results orientation, and teamwork.
• Provides managerial assistance and supervision to Community Development staff in planning and implementing programs; selects, trains, motivates, mentors, and evaluates staff; establishes and monitors employee performance objectives; plans, directs and coordinates work plans; provides or coordinates staff training; works with employees to correct deficiencies; implements corrective action.
• Meets regularly with staff to discuss and resolve priorities, workload and technical issues; assign projects and programmatic areas of responsibility; review and evaluate work methods and procedures.
• Facilitates problem solving in the department and encourages a high degree of communication and feedback between employees and supervisors; leads by example by maintaining high standards of behavior and performance.

Fiscal and Business Management

• Develops and administers departmental budget, including forecast of funds for staffing, projects, equipment, materials, and supplies, and monitoring of expenses; makes recommendations concerning priorities, allocation of funds, materials and personnel for planning, building and code compliance activities.
• Prepares annual budget and justifies budget requests and amendments.
• Projects revenues and funding for the work of the Department, including management of permitting fees and funds and accessing federal and State funding sources.
• Ensures